Cambodia - Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Northern Thailand - page 457

Motos are a popular form of transport around the temples (around US$10 per day, more for distant
sites). Drivers accost visitors from the moment they set foot in Siem Reap, but they're often know-
ledgeable and friendly.
Private cars cost about US$30 a day (more for distant sites), but tend to isolate you from the sights,
sounds and smells.

TOP OF CHAPTER

Further Afield

Sights

Banteay Srei
Considered by many to be the jewel in the crown of Angkorian art, Banteay Srei is cut
from stone of a pinkish hue and includes some of the finest stone carving anywhere on
earth. Begun in AD 967, it is one of the few temples around Angkor not to be commis-
sioned by a king, but by a Brahman, perhaps a tutor to Jayavarman V.
Banteay Srei means 'Citadel of the Women ' and it is said that it must have been built
by women, as the elaborate carvings are too fine for the hand of a man.
Banteay Srei, 21km northeast of the Bayon and about 32km from Siem Reap, can be
visited along with Kbal Spean and the Cambodia Landmine Museum. Transport out to
here will cost a little more than the prices quoted for the central temples of Angkor.

HINDU TEMPLE

Kbal Spean
Kbal Spean is a spectacularly carved riverbed, set deep in the jungle about 50km northeast
of Angkor. More commonly referred to in English as the 'River of a Thousand Lingas',
it's a 2km uphill walk to the carvings, which include phallic lingas and Hindu deities.
From the carvings you can work your way back down to the waterfall to cool off. Carry
plenty of water.
Kbal Spean was only 'discovered' in 1969, when ethnologist Jean Boulbet was shown
the area by a local hermit; the area was soon off-limits due to the civil war, only becoming
safe again in 1998.

HINDU SHRINE